This invention relates to a connector used for connection of wire harnesses in motor vehicles.
FIG. 6 shows an example of a conventional connector of this type. In FIG. 6, reference character a designates a female connector housing; and b, a male connector housing. Metal terminals c and d are built in the female connector housing and the male connector housing b, respectively. The female connector housing a has a flexible locking arm e, which is engaged with a locking portion f of the male connector housing b when the male connector housing b is connected to the female connector housing a.
A compression spring g is provided between the female connector housing a and the male connector housing b, acting to move them away from each other.
When the male connector housing b is connected to the female connector housing a, the spring g is compressed. If the locking arm e is not completely engaged with the locking portion f, the force of repulsion of the spring g thus compressed acts to move the housings a and b away from each other, thus preventing the incomplete joint of the housings as shown in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 99381/1986.
FIG. 7 shows the female connector housing a and the male connector housing b which have been completely engaged with each other, with the locking arm e engaged with the locking portion f.
The above-described conventional connector suffers from the following difficulty: That is, when the male and female connector housings b and a are completely engaged with each other, the force of repulsion of the compression spring g acts on the two housings a and b at all times, thus obstructing the stable contact of the metal terminals c and d.